Wet THF as a suitable solvent for a mild and convenient reduction of carbonyl compounds with NaBH4

NaBH4 in wet THF can readily reduce varieties of carbonyl compounds such as aldehydes, ketones, conjugated enones, acyloins, and alpha-diketones to their corresponding alcohols in good to excellent yields. Reduction reactions were performed at room temperature or under reflux condition. In addition, the chemoselective reduction of aldehydes over ketones was accomplished successfully with this reducing system.